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Vulcan
__NOEDITSECTION__ The Vulcans or Vulcanians are a humanoid species from the core world of Vulcan. They are widely known for their logical minds and stoic culture. Appearance and Biology Vulcans closely resemble Humans, with the same average height and weight. Their pointed ears are slightly larger than the Human norm, and their slanted eyebrows sometimes give them a questioning look. The inner, or nictitating, eyelid protects the retina from the intensity of the Vulcan sun. Vulcan skin complexions range from olive to dark mahogany, with a green cast provided by their copper-based blood. The Vulcan heart rests in the lower center of the torso, surrounded and protected by highly efficient lungs. The higher gravity and thinner atmosphere of their planet has given them greater strength and enhanced their senses, especially their hearing. Vulcans possess telepathic abilities. The mind meld allows them to merge their consciousness with other intelligent beings, but it requires touching. Limited telepathy can be achieved without touching. Vulcan children are often telepathically linked with future mates chosen by their parents. The children are then drawn together when they reach adulthood. When injured, Vulcans turn their psychic abilities inward and heal themselves via a coma-like healing trance. Personality Vulcans exalt logic over emotion, and usually repress or sublimate emotions in daily behavior. Vulcans who deal with non-Vulcans on a regular basis often maintain an almost glacial calm, possibly as self-defense against so much unguarded feeling. Among themselves, Vulcans usually seem more relaxed; Vulcan diplomats often cultivate a kind of distant good humor and politesse. Even Vulcan diplomats, however, have trouble predicting or depending upon the behavior of more emotional species. History and Culture The Vulcans possess a sophisticated, ancient culture with customs dictated by their devotion to logic. Vulcan art forms are formal and precise, intended not to evoke emotional response but to stimulate thought or help induce a meditative mindset. Vulcans also enjoy strategy games, formal debates, and similar encounter and never give in to emotion (including violent emotions). The constraints of Vulcan reproductive biology, however, makes this difficult. Every seven years beginning at age 14, Vulcan males experience Pon farr, in which the mating urge emerges with irresistible force. A Vulcan who does not mate suffers a fatal neurochemical imbalance. He may also experience plak-taw, the “blood fever,” when he loses all control of his emotions and can fight and kill without hesitation. Hence, Vulcans generally bond in their preteen years, to logically select mates before the madness of Pon farr. Vulcan marriages then proceed logically in the koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony, only rarely resulting in ritual combat to the death. Vulcans see violence as a waste of resources, time, and lives, and therefore illogical. If a Vulcan practices a martial art, he does so to hone his physique and discipline his mind. Above all else, Vulcans value peace and prefer to resolve differences–logically–through meditation. They are no fools, however, and when a Vulcan logically concludes that force must be met by force, he makes a formidable adversary. The Vulcan obsession with logical thinking came from ancient times when they were a hostile, passionate race of warriors. Surak, the father of Vulcan logic, lived during the last great period of wars. After both of the major sides were devastated by war Surak met with them to establish a lasting peace. Surak's philosophy of logic soon prevailed in Vulcan society and the planet was united. Names Vulcans use only given names, though in ritual greetings the add their parent’s name (and sometimes more), as in Satok, son of Tavin, son of Vorik. Even Vulcans of extremely ancient and powerful families use no honorifics; aristocracy is illogical, and logically, anyone worth impressing should already know who you are without being reminded of your family’s status. RPG D6 Stats Technology Level: Space Government: Representative democracy Home Planet or System: Vulcan Attribute Dice: 14D DEXTERITY 2D/4D KNOWLEDGE 3D/5D MECHANICAL 2D/4D PERCEPTION 2D+2/4D+2 STRENGTH 2D/5D TECHNICAL 2D+1/4D+2 Special Skills: Strength Skills: Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Time to use: one round. This skill is used by Vulcans as a less aggressive means of overpowering an opponent. When used correctly this technique causes STR+4D stun damage. The difficulty is Easy for Vulcans and Difficult for non-Vulcans. The character must make the difficulty to use successfully. Perception Skills: Vulcan Mind Meld. Time to use: few rounds to an hour or longer. This is a limited telepathic ability allowing Vulcans to link minds with each other, or with another race. It requires physical contact unless the recipient is a projective telepath, usually accomplished with the Vulcans hands resting on the temple of the subject, and the Vulcan can do nothing else while the contact is taking place. The following can be attempted using Mind Meld: *Receptive Telepathy: Allows the user to read another's memories, or share memories and thoughts with them. Sharing memories with a willing Vulcan target is Very Easy. Sharing memories with a willing target of another species is Moderate. Sharing memories with a completely alien being is Heroic. An unwilling target can add their Perception or Control to the difficulty. Add +5 to the difficulty if the Vulcan is not touching the target. *Shared Will: Allows the user to share some of their Willpower skill with the target, serving as an excellent way to teach the Willpower skill. Every 1D that the character shares with the target is subtracted from their own Willpower for the duration of the effect. The effect typically lasts 24 hours, and personality types and insanities are often exchanged temporarily while the effect lasts as well. The difficulty to share will is Moderate. *Fal-tor-pan: The ability to separate and merge the katra, or life essence. It is a rarely used ability which allows the user to place his katra into another host so that it can be returned to his body, or another body, later. It requires a Heroic difficulty roll to perform Fal-tor-pan. Special Abilities: Healing Trance: This trance allows the Vulcan to stabilize his wounds and to heal significantly more rapidly than normal. However, for the duration of the healing the Vulcan is in a deep trance. Entering the trance requires no roll; the actual healing is more difficult. Every six hours the character may make a STR or stamina roll to heal one wound level. If the difficulty is beat by more than 10 points he heals two wound levels, and if the difficulty is missed by more than 5 points his health worsens by one wound level due to mental strain. Prematurely rousing the character from this trance is risky, and unless a Moderate (A)medicine roll is made the shock of doing so will cause his health to worsen by one wound level. The safest method of ending a healing trance is to mind meld with the subject; however, in emergencies shaking him vigorously also works. The character automatically leaves the trance when he has reduced his level of injury to Stunned. Story Factors: Pon-Farr: Upon reaching physical maturity a Vulcan male undergoes a pon-farr every seven years. During this time the Vulcan chooses a mate, and must either copulate with them or, if the chosen mate is unwilling, battle for the right to do so. The Vulcan becomes extremely hostile, and emotionally unstable. If this situation is not resolved within a few days at most the Vulcan can die from the resulting stresses. Suppression of Feelings: To void the hostilities of Vulcan's past all Vulcans are taught from birth to suppress any emotions. There are only a handful of extremists who reject this teaching. Move: 10/12 Size: 1.5-2 meters tall Behind the Scenes The Vulcans are a cross-over species based on the species by the same name in Star Trek canon. Category:Species Category:Near-Human Species